What is it like working as a porter? I’m not sure I can picture what it’s like.

Gregor: A concierge takes care of specific guests, whereas we are small concierges for all guests. From the first day of their stay, when we greet them with a smile at the entrance to the hotel, to taking care of their cars and all the other services that follow. This makes us the first, and usually also the last, to come into contact with a guest staying at Grand Hotel Union.

Could you describe your occupation in… let’s say two words?

Gregor: Exciting and fast. I can also tell you that hardworking porters walk between twenty and twenty-five kilometres a day.

So you need to be extremely fit?

Gregor: That’s right. It’s not the kind of work that anyone can, or wants to, do. Every porter has to have great patience.

… and you get to drive the best cars, which many are probably very envious of, right?

Gregor: That’s true. As for the cars, I think I’ve seen every kind of car there is. From the cheapest cars to the most expensive ones… I could probably count on the fingers of two hands the number of the cars that do belong to the most expensive cars in the world that we haven’t had here yet. But anyway, the most important thing is to treat everyone equally.

Which car do you remember most?

Gregor: Not long ago, I was driving a slightly older Rolls-Royce. You can really see the timelessness in this car. It’s a thing that’s older than ten years and nevertheless keeps its extraordinary value. Well, actually, the Rolls-Royce brand is considered a bit special as it is; with its coach doors and so on.

How about sports cars?

Gregor: When there’s such a car at the hotel, we like to show it to the other guests, so they can have a photo taken with it. After all, we don’t get to see such cars every day. Over the years, there have been quite a few good ones, including a Mercedes-Benz worth 1.5 million euros.

I can image you must be quite nervous when you get behind the wheel of such a car?

Gregor: Not any more after so many years, but there’s still some kind of a special feeling. You have to have respect for each of these cars. After all these are cars with over 200-horsepower engines and this need to be taken seriously. But I can safely say that for a student this is a dream job. The flexibility, working in a cosmopolitan environment, driving good cars…

How did your Grand Hotel Union story begin in the first place?

Gregor: I was sixteen when I started working here. As I didn’t have a driving licence at the time yet, I worked alongside one of the best porters. He would drive the cars and I would carry the luggage. We were a good team. As a teen, I worked here during the holidays for the most part, but I proved myself, and they would ask me to come back and work for them year after year. Now, I have a regular full-time job here, and I’m also studying economics.

What’s the one thing that being a porter has thought you that will help you in the future?

Gregor: Working in an international environment. A feeling for other cultures, other races, businesses… I know I treat guests from Arab countries differently than guests from Russia. And Russians differently than Americans. I know what each of them expects, what their culture is like. I’ve had a lot of job offers from abroad, mostly from very capable entrepreneurs. Since our hotel offers conference facilities, our guests include some really successful businessmen, such as Mr Akrapovič, Mr Češko, Boscarol and so on.

What do you like most about it all?

Gregor: As a porter you get to know all the guests arriving at Grand Hotel Union. One of the things I like is how interesting and varied my work is. And also, because of tips, it’s largely all up to me. If you’re a good worker, you do well in all areas (laughter).

You said you started when you were sixteen… how many years has it been now?

Gregor: This is my ninth year here. And I think it’s because of how interesting and varied my work is – which I’ve mentioned before – that I still like doing it. We are lucky to be one of the strongest hotels in Ljubljana and to have all kinds of guests. From Queen Elizabeth, to small business owners, large hoteliers…

Speaking of guests… during the past nine years, many world-famous people have stayed here. Were you here when any of them arrived?

Gregor: There really were many and many of them were fantastic, in spite of what the media want you to believe. I can say we’ve had lots of A-list celebrities, who were staying here very quietly. For example, according to the media Zuccero was last year in 2007, but I can tell you he was here not so long ago.

What are celebrity guests like?

Gregor: Most of them are really down-to-earth, nice. Bob Dylan, for example, is a fantastic gentleman. His whole team was fantastic and professional…

P.S. Gregor Žibert has recently been promoted to the position of a concierge.

Liked the interview? Read the blog about our Concierge Blaž.